Cold and Flu Blog

A collection of information on the latest research into the common cold and flu. We all suffer, yet we do not really know much about these maladies. And why haven't we found a cure?
If you want to send me an article, or comments or criticism, send email to: coldandflu2004@yahoo.com

The world is teetering on the edge of a pandemic that could kill a large fraction of the human population...
It costs money to read the whole article, but the graphic is pretty cool, and I was able to look at it for free.

"Cultivating Cures: Biotech Industry Turns to Plant-Bred Drugs"ROWS OF GENETICALLY altered tobacco plants fill a Hayward greenhouse, but they're not intended for cigarettes or cigars. Instead, they carry human antibodies that may one day help ward off tooth decay and the common cold..."RhinoRX," the company's antibody that aims to prevent the common cold (rhinovirus), will begin clinical trials by the end of the year at the University of Virginia.

In order to ensure the availability of influenza vaccine for administration early this coming fall, the AMA (American Medical Association) recommends that physicians and providers begin to order supplies of influenza vaccine immediately.

I'm just posting this becasue it explains how the cold virus is being used to make vaccines. If you want to read the full article it is here.

"AdVac(tm) technology is a vaccine technology developed by Crucell and is considered to play an important role in the fight against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and in biodefense. The technology supports the practice of inserting genetic material from the disease-causing virus or parasite into a 'vehicle' called a vector, which then delivers the immunogenic material directly to the immune system. Most vectors are based on an adenovirus, the virus that causes the common cold."